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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Hila Feldman, BS, Cristine D. Delnevo, PhD, MPH, and Kitaw Demissie, MD, PhD. School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 317 George St., Suite 209, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, 732-235-9727, feldmahi@umdnj.edu

Currently, there is a scarcity of research pertaining to serious psychological distress and tobacco use among pregnant women. We examined the prevalence of cigarette smoking during pregnancy among women (N=947) with and without serious psychological distress (SPD) in the past year. Data from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed. SPD was measured by the K6 scale, which asks respondents to report the frequency of six distress symptoms (e.g. nervous, hopeless, restless/fidgety, depressed, everything was an effort, worthless) experienced during the worst month emotionally in the past year. Respondents with a score of ≥13 were considered as having past year SPD. Data analyses utilized weighted frequencies for the prevalence of past month cigarette use and SPD among pregnant women. Results indicated that 10.1% of pregnant women reported SPD in the past year. Among these pregnant women, 41.9% were found to have smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days. In contrast, 17.4% of pregnant women reporting none or lower levels of psychological distress smoked cigarettes within the past 30 days. In addition, pregnant women reporting SPD, who smoked within the past 30 days, were more likely to be white, never married, and 18-25 years old. These results show elevated levels of past month cigarette use among pregnant women who indicated SPD in the past year. Thus, self-reported SPD may be a contributing factor for smoking among pregnant women. Furthermore, specifically tailored interventions planned for this sub-population are critical to reduce adverse birth outcomes associated with smoking.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify the prevalence of cigarette smoking among pregnant women with and without past year serious psychological distress (SPD) from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
• Describe the association of serious psychological distress (SPD) and cigarette smoking among pregnant women.
• Recognize the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of serious psychological distress (SPD) among pregnant women.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Smoking

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered